Closure cap selector chute



y 0 1969 c. s. OCHS 3,444,983

CLOSURE CAP SELECTOR CHUTE Filed April 27, 1967 Sheet ofS [3 Y WWYHMMIMay 20, 1969 c. s. OCHS CLOSURE CAP SELECTOR CHUTE 13 v of 3 Sheet FiledApril 27, 1967 m M w N I CHHALESS OC'l/S ATTOR/VE) y 0, 1969 c. sou-1s3,444,983

CLOSURE CAP SELECTOR CHUTE Filed April 27, 1967 Sheet 3 of 3 i \/6INVENTOR.

United States Patent US. Cl. 198-33 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Aselector is included in a portion of a feed chute of the type used tofeed container closure caps from a cap supply source to a containersealing machine. The selector has a pivotally mounted selecting cammounted at one side of the cap chute having a sensing arm which isengaged and moved by the outer edge of each cap passing through thechute and a spaced ejecting arm which is raised in the path of the cap.Where the caps pass through the chute with their tops uppermost theraised ejecting arm moves within the cap but has no effect on thepassage of the cap past the ejector cam. Where the cap is inverted withits cover down, the raised ejecting arm strikes the cap cover therebytilting the cap so that the cap is removed from the chute by the forceof gravity or a spring finger on the opposite side of the chute.

Background of invention This invention relates to a selector for use ina feed chute such as, for example, are used to pass cup-like closurecaps from a feed hopper to a sealing machine. The selector passes capswhich are properly oriented with their tops uppermost and rejectsinverted caps and returns them to the cap hopper.

A variety of such devices are presently employed using one form ofselecting device or another. The most effective prior selectors of thistype are relatively complex and for this reason are not easily changedfor handling varying sizes of caps. As will be evident from thefollowing description, the cap selector of the present inventionperforms an effective and relatively rapid cap selecting operation andat the same time has an extremely simple form so that the selector maybe used with varying sizes of closure caps with relatively simpleadjustments usually requiring only an adjustment in the width of the capfeeding chute adjacent to the selector.

The relatively simple parts of the selector are readily manufacturedfrom low-friction materials and are so disposed that the selection isdone with a minimum cap contact and without any damage to the capsselected. The simple design also is relatively rugged and is readilyadjusted and cleansed and thus is particularly useful in food packagingoperations.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide animproved cap selector.

Another object is to provide a cap selector readily adjustable forvariations in cap sizes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cap selectorwith a minimum number of movable parts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a simplified andeffective cap selector which is particularly suited for use in foodpackaging equipment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cap selectorhaving only minimal contact with the moving caps.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon anunderstanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described orwill be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages notreferred to 3,444,983 Patented May 20, 1969 herein will occur to oneskilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes ofillustration and description forming a part of the specification,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of a preferred embodiment of the cap selector inaccordance with the present invention positioned between a cap feedinghopper and a cap supply chute;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed plan view of the cap selectorof FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3-5 are vertical sectional views through the cap selectorillustrating its action with properly and improperly oriented closurecaps;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view partially cut away of the capselector of FIG. 1 and corresponding to FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the cap selectorcorresponding to FIG. 5 and illustrating an inverted cap being rejected;and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view corresponding to FIG. 4illustrating a properly oriented cap passing through the selectorwithout being rejected.

Summary of the invention FIG. 1 shows a cap selector 1 in accordancewith the present invention in position between a cap feed hopper 2 and acap feeding chute 3 of the type used, for example, to feed caps to a capapplicator of a sealing machine.

The hopper 3 as illustrated is a conventional means for successivelyfeeding closure caps 4 into the feed end 5 of a cap feed chute 3. Suchhoppers are known which include magnets or other means on a rotatingdisc 6 to engage and carry the caps 4 successively to the entrance end 5of the chute 3. Where a cap selector is used in accordance with thepresent invention, the caps 4 may be fed into the chute 3 positionedrandomly with the cap cover either uppermost in the chute or against thechute bottom. Those caps 4 which are inverted and which have their topsagainst the chute bottom are selected and rejected by the cap selector 1of the invention, as will be more fully described below, and arereturned by the means of a return chute 7 so that they fall back intothe rotating hopper 2. Properly oriented caps 4 move past the capselector 1 and down the cap feeding chute 3 to its exit end 8.

The cap selector 1 portion of the cap chute 3 includes a cap supportingbottom 10 and upper and lower side rails 11 and 12 respectively forforming a cap guiding channel. A cover 13, resiliently attached to thechute as further described below, partially covers the cap guidingchannel. A cap selector cam 14 is mounted at the lower side rail 12opposite a spring finger 15 having its lower end positioned toresiliently engage the moving caps 4 and being adjustably mountedadjacent the upper rail 11. In order to permit adjustment of the capchute including the selector portion for handling the caps of differingsize the lower rail 12 is detachably connected by pins and a pluralityof mounting holes so that the chute channel may be adjusted toaccommodate caps of varying diameter.

FIGS. 2-8 illustrate the cap selector 1 in detail including its capselecting action. FIGS. 3 and 6 show the cap selector cam 14 pivotallyattached to the bottom 10 of the cap chute by a mounting pin 16 andhaving a cap sensing arm 17 positioned partially within a slot 18 in thelower cap rail 12. At the opposite end of the cam 14 a cap ejecting arm19 is accommodated within a slot 20 in the cap chute bottom 10. The arms17 and 19 of the selecting cam 14 are proportioned so that the capsensing arm 17 protrudes from the slot 18 and in the path of the movingclosures 4 when'the cap ejecting arm 19 below the cap engaging surfaceof the cap chute bottom 10. When the skirt or edge 21 of an advancingcap 4 moves past the cap ejecting cam 14, it engages the sensing arm 17forcing it into the slot 18 in the lower side rail 12 thereby requiringan upward movement of the cap ejecting arm 19 to the position shown inFIGS. 4 and 5. When the closure cap 4 is centered with respect to thecap selecting cam 14, the cap is resiliently urged against the lowerside .rail 12 and the cam 14 by the spring finger 15.

FIGS. 4 and 8 show the action of the cap selector cam 14 to a correctlyoriented cap having its cover uppermost. When the cap 4 is in thisposition, it is seen that the cap ejecting arm 19 even though raisedabove the bottom 10 of the cap chute has entered into an open spacewithin the cap 4. The selector cam 14 even though turned to thisposition is seen to remain clear of the moving cap 4. As the capprogresses further down the chute 3, its skirt 21 clears the oppositearm 17 of the cap selector cam and the cam is free to swing back to itsoriginal position.

Where the cap 4 has its top downward adjacent the bottom of the capchute, the swinging movement of the selector cam 14 resulting from itsengagement with the cap 4 results in the cap being tilted over the lowerrail 12 in the position illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7. In this positionthe force of the spring finger or gravity or both cause the tilted cap 4to slide downwardly out of the cap chute over the rail 12 and to bereturned to the hopper 2 or other cap feeder in the manner illustratedin FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3-5 illustrate the preferred mounting for the cap chute cover 13which preferably has a bevelled edge 22, as illustrated, to facilitatethe above tilting of the cap 4. In addition, in order to assure thatimproperly oriented or inverted caps are swung clear of the chute 3 bythe cam 14, the cover is resiliently mounted on guide pins 23 and isheld downwardly under the force of coil springs 24 confined between thecap chute bottom 10 and the cover mounting bolts 25.

A preferred shape of the selector cam 14 is illustrated for theselecting action described above. The cam 14 itself may be freelymounted on the mounting pin 16 for movement between the extremepositions as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5. The outer end of the sensingarm 17 is preferably bevelled as illustrated at in FIG. 2 to facilitatethe movement of the arm 17 into the slot in rail 12 as each cap 4 movesinto engagement with the arm 17. Similarly the outer edge of theejecting arm 19 is also bevelled as illustrated at 31 in FIG. '6 tofacilitate the return movement of the cam 14 and to insure that itclears the lower edge of the cap skirt when properly oriented caps 4move past the selecting cam 14. It should be noted that the cam 14 isonly forced to the selecting position shown in FIG. 4 when each cap 4 iscentered with respect to the cam 14 with the cap skirt at the cam slot.Prior to the time when the cap 4 reaches this position and after itmoves beyond this position it is seen that there is clearance beween theskirt of cap 4 and the sensing arm 17.

It will be seen that an improved high speed cap selector has beenprovided which is useful with a wide variety of cap sizes. The capselector of the present invention is relatively simple and is adaptedfor use with presently used cap applicators and cap feeding hoppers. Theselector is also capable of operating at high speeds so that it may beused with high speed cap feed hoppers and sealing machines. As the capselector has a minimum number of moving parts its set-up, maintenance,repair and cleaning are simplified and the cap selector has an extremelylong life which minimizes replacement costs.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangementof the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention and Without sacrificing any of its advantage t s to be nder- 4stood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative andnot in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A cap selector comprising the combination of a cap guiding chutehaving a bottom and cap guide at one side, an ejecting means having twocamming portions operatively coupled together and movably mounted insaid chute for movement between a first position partially vabove thechute bottom and a second position below said first position, and meansat the said cap guide operatively coupled to said ejecting means forraising it responsive to the movement of a cap thereagainst.

2. A cap selector comprising the combination of a cap guiding chutehaving a bottom and cap guiding rail at one side, means for urging capsagainst said rail, a means having two camming portions operativelycoupled together and movably mounted in the bottom of said chute formovement between a first position partially above the chute bottom and asecond position below said first position, and cam means at said railoperatively coupled to said ejecting means for raising it responsive tothe movement of a cap against said cam means.

3. The selector as claimed in claim 2 in which said cam means and saidejecting means comprise a unitary member pivotally mounted on said chutefor movement about an axis generally longitudinal of said chute.

4. The selector as claimed in claim 2 in which said cap urging meanscomprises a spring positioned for engaging caps in said chute on the capside remote from said cam means.

5. The cap selector as claimed in claim 2 which further comprises acover on said cap guiding chute extending over only a portion thereofand having a free edge spaced from said cam means.

6. A cap selector comprising a cap guiding chute, a cap guide rail onone side of said chute, means for urging caps against said guide rail,and a movably mounted cap selector cam having a first camming portionpositioned for engaging the cap skirts adjacent said rail and a secondcamming portion positioned for entering said chute responsive to saidfirst camming portion being engaged by the cap skirts for engaging andtilting inverted caps in said chute having their tops lowermost.

7. The cap selector as claimed in claim 6 in which said selector cam ispivotally mounted on an axis directed generally transversely of saidchute.

l'LThe cap selector as claimed in claim 6 in which said cap urging meanscomprises a spring arm positioned on said chute opposite to said firstcamming portion.

9. A cap selector comprising a cap guiding chute, a guide rail on oneedge of said chute, means for urging caps toward said guide rail, a slotin said guide rail, and a cap selector cam pivotally mounted formovement about an axis directed generally transversely of said chute andhaving a first camming portion positioned at said slot for engaging thecap skirts adjacent said rail and a second camming portion adapted forentering said chute responsive to said first camming portion enteringsaid slot on being engaged by the cap skirts thereby engaging andtilting inverted caps in said chute having their tops lowermost wherebysaid caps pass over said guide rail.

10. The cap selector is claimed in claim 9 in which said chute comprisesa cover extending from the side opposite said guide rail only partiallytoward said guide rail providing an exit slot for inverted caps.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,364,243 12/1944 Riddle 221-1573,195,705 7/1965 Ochs 221-157 RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. XLR. 193-43

